Memoir: His Puppet No MorePaperback, Kindle

“I genuinely wanted to share my story and in doing so hoped it would help others find their path to healing,” writes Romano. She takes care to warn of the difficult content: She openly discusses molestation, rape, incest, pregnancy, abortions, drug use and suicide. Most affecting are the forced sexual encounters she suffered from the age of 4 through adulthood. Amid the descriptions are nuggets of eloquent honesty. “There were times when I became confused and wondered why I was left alone, untouched,” she remembers of her childhood after abuse began. Romano goes on to address her fear of beginning therapy and, since Dean used drugs to abuse her, the trepidation she felt in pursuing treatment with antidepressant medication. Poignant descriptions of crucifixes and a life-changing revelation at a stoplight are the most powerful passages in the book.